“But perhaps the least mentioned green part of this package,” Berger added, “is simply to lessen the gridlock that paralyzes the transportation system in this valley at least two times a day. Sitting in a car or truck, idling or slowly moving is the single most polluting thing we can do.”

Thursday, May 28, 2009

For a Conservation Fair, Rodger Gutierrez, ODOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Specialist, created a map to encourage ODOT employees to bike to work. The map takes the watershed idea and applies it to biking. Rodger observes:

1) The city of Salem is divided into 10 areas, similar to watersheds, and routes are identified how to get to downtown from each "bike-shed". Not all bike facilities are marked, only a few - in order not to clutter the map. All of the routes converge into 10 entry/exit points to downtown, one for each "bike-shed".

2) Downtown map. This map shows how to get to ODOT from each of the "10 bike-sheds". It shows both bicycle paths and pedestrian amenities in downtown Salem. The mapped area is roughly the same as the Vision 2020 area.

Both the Downtown Vision 2020 Bike & Pedestrian Workgroup and the MWVBTA are excited about this approach to mapping routes. The Salem-Keizer Bike Map is a bare list of infrastructure improvements and designations. It tells you what is there, but not how to get there. It doesn't perform that editorial or advisory role.

White Cloud Properties proposes to develop a rock quarry on the southern edge of the South Salem Hills. From a traffic analysis:

White Cloud Properties proposes to develop a 260 acre quarry on 700 plus acres west of the intersection of Skyline Road at Setting Sun Road in southwest Marion County, Oregon. The remaining 440 acres will serve as a buffer for the mining area. The quarry will transport rock products from the site by rail which currently runs along the southwest boundary of the site and by truck using an improved access at Setting Sun Road at Skyline Road.

The Marion County Planning staff report suggests the county is tending towards approving the quarry: "With additional information, compliance with Public Works traffic requirements, and other conditions of approval, staff can support the request."

The quarry could impact bicycling on Skyline Road and on River Road with increased large truck traffic. There are also significant questions about environmental impact on both the hillside and on Ankeny Bottom (the site is above the Wildlife Refuge).

I looked around and was struck by the other cars around me. They were huge. GMC Denalis. Ford Explorers. Every variety of "luxury pickup." Behind the wheels of these enormous vehicles were mostly women (coming out the mall). And except for the drivers, the vehicles were mostly empty.

This happened to be a year or two after Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" was released. Never mind the money these cars were wasting, they were also generating an outrageous amount of pollutants. Did none of these people understand what they were doing? And why was a 40-year-old mother driving a car the size of tank anyway? Did nobody see the absurdity of this situation?

1. Restore a minimum of $24 million in federal flexible funds for non-highway transportation.2. Restore the increase in the minimum spending for bike-ped projects to 1.5% or otherwise ensure increased funding for non-motorized transportation.3. Require the Transportation Commission to apply state transportation planning requirements to the pork projects earmarked in the bill.4. Restore MPO land use planning aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for at least Eugene-Springfield.

The Democratic leadership in the House and Senate released this press release. They acknowledge that it's a roads bill, and not a transportation bill. House Transportation Chair Terry Beyer (D-Springfield) said:

The projects we picked were approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission and are vital to improving our roads system.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

1000 Friends of Oregon and the BTA yesterday sent out notice that House Bill 2001 was going sideways and morphing into an Eisenhower-era Highways bill. The original intent of the Jobs and Transportation Act was to present the beginnings of a balanced multi-modal approach to transportation planning and funding.

Some believe that the most powerful tool will be the development of "least cost planning." Still, projects like active transportation corridors and funding, and increasing the highway fund allocation for pedestrians and bikes, are out. Bikeportland offers a longer discussion.

As part of the 11th hour maneuvering, legislators created a new special committee, the Joint Special Committee on Transportation, and arranged for a hearing today. It will be at 5pm in hearing room F. They will follow with a work session tomorrow.

It is expected that this will be the last opportunity to testify on transportation. Tara Sulzen at 1000 Friends (503-497-1000 or email tara@friends.org) is coordinating testimony. Please let her know if you are interested in speaking on behalf of bicycling and bicycle infrastructure.

The Vision 2020 Bicycle and Pedestrian Workgroup started working on a project to accomodate bicycles in the restriping plan for Commercial Street in downtown as part of the first resurfacing project funded by the bond measure that passed last fall.

Between Marion on the north and Trade on the south, Commercial currently has 4 travel lanes, some dual-turns, and no accommodations for bicycles. The right-most lane is little used, and traffic volume projections indicate no loss of capacity by swapping the right most lane for a bike lane.

Here is the current proposed plan, again for Marion to Trade, in section.

The plan retains angle parking on both sides of the road. Going south, the left hand lane will be slightly wider and marked with sharrows. The next two travel lanes are narrowed, and then the right-most travel lane is a 7 foot bike lane.

Current Oregon standards call for a 5 foot minumum bike lane. A 7 foot lane is not the largest possible bike lane, but it is considerablely larger than the minimum.

By comparison, the section below is from the 1995 Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and shows both wider auto lanes and narrower bike lanes. (It also shows parallel rather than angle parking - I couldn't easily find a relevant image with angle parking.)

Portland area riders will meet at the Skidmore MAX station in downtown Portland at 8:20 am on Wednesday, and travel on MAX and WES to Wilsonville. At 10:00 am they will depart the Wilsonville WES station for Salem on bicycle. See the full Wilsonville to Salem route here.

This will be a great opportunity to give visibility to the need for a truly multi-modal transportation package that makes meaningful progress towards greenhouse gas emissions and a transportation system that moves people rather than engines.

House Bill 2001 - amendments to be published soon; work session scheduled for Tuesday, May 19House Bill 2106 - Passed the Senate, 28 in favor, 2 excused. Waiting for the Governor's signature.House Bill 2377 - held work sessionHouse Bill 2554 - The Senate Business and Transportation Committee removed the language about motorcycles, and sent it to the floor with a do pass recommendation.

Work Session Information:

Tuesday, May 19, 8:00 A.M., HR APublic Hearing and Work SessionHB 2001 A - Directs interim House and Senate committees related to transportation and Oregon Transportation Commission to conduct study.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

To share the road, most of the time all that’s needed is a mutual interest in civility and safety. But the law’s not always so straightforward or commonsensical, and it’s often changing.

Whether you need a refresher course, or want a complete introduction to bicycling and the law, the City of Salem and the Mid-Willamette Valley Chapter of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance have some answers.

On Wednesday, June 10 from 6pm to 7pm, at the Anderson Room in the Salem Public Library, Ray Thomas will share his wisdom and wit in this 60-minute clinic on bicyclists’ rights and responsibilities on the road. A question and answer period will follow.

Learn the legal basis for sharing the road. The clinic will cover what to expect legally and practically from motorists. It will also discuss what motorists, pedestrians, and other bicyclists should expect from bicyclists. Hear about Oregon’s bike law basics, get inside info about insurance, and learn what to do if you’re in a crash.

The clinic will also get people up to date on the latest legislation.

The 2007 Legislature passed a law that required a “distance that is sufficient to prevent contact with the person operating the bicycle if the person were to fall into the driver's lane of traffic.” Oregon law also contains the “Citizen Prosecution Statute,” which allows regular citizens to initiate an action on a traffic ticket, to subpoena witnesses and present evidence at a trial in traffic court.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Hosted by Capitol Velo Racing Club of Salem, the Lulay's Silverton Road Race is this Sunday May 17th. The course is a 17.5 mile loop with few flat sections, constant rollers, some extended climbs and features an uphill finish. Racers will be completing either 2, 3 or 4 loops depending on their category.

Riding the course in the opposite direction of the race is a great way to spectate. The course starts and ends at the Victor Point School.

The Salem-Keizer area is home to just over 80 racers representing more than 15 teams and ranging in age from 9 to 62 with an average age of 36. While most racers are male, nearly 25% of the racers are female.

Lots of people lock up to parking signs because the racks are so bad. But soon that will be prohibited:

(D) Bicycles parked in any area designated for motor vehicle parking, or chained to signposts, stairwells, trees or other structures not designated for bicycle parking are subject to being removed at the owner's expense, without notice and impounded according to OAR 125-090-0150.

Let Odie Vogel (odie.c.vogel@state.or.us), Manager Parking and Commuting Services, know that you are concerned that there is not enough safe, highly visible, and high quality bike parking for this policy to work.

Without good bike parking, the policy will likely operate as a disincentive for bike parking and bike commuting. The State should be making it easier, not more difficult, to bike!

First thing's quiet & contemplative. Take a moment to honor those killed and hurt while bicycling. The Salem Ride of Silence will commence at the Red Lot at 6pm on Wednesday, May 20th.

The Ride of Silence is a world-wide event, and begins in North America and rolls across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride Of Silence in Dallas after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and was killed. The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride.

Over at Pacific Pedaling, Paul's got the info on the new website for the new and improved Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway. More photos, more maps, more goodness! It starts at Champoeg and runs through French Prairie and Ankeny Bottom to Armitage park in Eugene.

Oregon Disability Sports is holding an Adaptive Bike Clinic on July 12th. Check out hand-cycles, tricycles, all kinds of cool recumbents! There are bikes for almost everyone now, and if a diamond-frame two-wheeler isn't right for you, check out some of the options!

The Governor proposes to direct the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to develop a least cost planning model – similar to what utility companies currently use – that will be applied when solving transportation problems. This modeling directs ODOT to consider the least cost option, such as increased investments in rail or transit, in order to relieve congestion, rather than just building additional capacity.

Least Cost Planning is about saving money! It's not about creating bureaucratic hoops and imposing "onerous burdens." It's about return on investment and cost-effectiveness. Getting the most people where they need to be for the smallest amount of money. What's not to like about that, even for the most conservative of businesspeople?

Monday, May 11, 2009

Chickens are not the only matter of interest in the City Council agenda tonight! Integrating land use planning and transportation planning, as well as electric cars, are also on the docket.

Council will hold a public hearing on amending the Salem Area Comprehensive Plan. Designating "Activity Nodes and Corridors" will help create "walkable neighborhoods" more often and in more places. For analysis on the proposed bike lane benchmarks see last week's post. The updated staff report is here.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Each $1M in highway projects creates about 45 jobs, but 1$M in bike or pedestrian projects creates about 65 jobs. The Governor proposes to throw billions at hypertrophied highway projects, while modest and waaaay more cost-effective bike and ped projects languish.

Thursday, May 14, 3:00 P.M., HR BPublic Hearing and Possible Work SessionHB 2377 A - Prohibits person of any age from operating motor vehicle while using mobile communication device except under certain circumstances.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Some details are finally public! House Bill 2001 has an official engrossed A version. It's all about electric cars. Nothing about bikes. No increase in the state highway fund, no non-motorized transportation fund. Disappointing. Excerpts directly from the summary:

Directs Department of Transportation to develop one or more pilot programs to implement congestion pricing in Portland metropolitan area.

Directs Oregon Transportation Commission to determine amount of federal transportation funds available to Department of Transportation that may be used for eligible nonhighway projects.

Permits city with population of more than 500,000 to establish vehicle registration fees.

Prohibits local government from enacting or enforcing provision regulating use of fuel in motor vehicles.

Changes certain vehicle fees and motor vehicle fuel tax.

Extends credit against corporate excise or corporate income tax for corporation that provides motor vehicle insurance issued under mile-based or time-based rating plan.

House Transportation Committee made no recommendation, and passed on to Revenue and then Ways and Means.

We'll pass on analysis and comment as they come.

updates

1000 Friends reports

Currently, the package does not contain the planning component to reduce global warming pollution from cars and trucks. This element, which establishes planning requirements for Oregon’s three largest metropolitan areas, has been broadly endorsed by transportation stakeholders and is important for a balanced transportation package that will provide jobs, lower transportation costs, and build stronger, healthier communities.

More from the Oregonian. The proposed bill will contain a six cent increase in the gas tax. The article goes on:

The package, contained in House Bill 2001, ran into trouble last week, when Kulongoski threatened a veto over lawmakers' desire to list specific projects in the bill. But a compromise emerged that allows state transportation officials to designate the projects that will go forward.

On Thursday, the Oregon Transportation Commission held an emergency meeting and approved a list of $15 billion worth of transportation projects as a "menu" for legislators to pick from. Lawmakers working on the transportation bill will select projects from the list and include them in the bill, Hunt said.

Finally, a year ago the DLCD decided it was time to move on and look forward rather than backward.

Who knows what a mutually agreeable set of benchmarks for land use and transportation planning might have looked like in 2005.

But in 2009, this is what we bicyclists get:

Bike Lanes.

In 2008 apparently 53% of "streets designated to have bike lanes...are striped with bike lanes." In 2010 this increases to 54%, in 2015 to 58%, in 2020 to 62%, in 2025 to 66%, and in 2030 Salem will enjoy a 70% completion rate. (Though I don't believe these benchmarks are legally binding.)

The Salem Area Comprehensive Plan will be updated with this language:

GOAL: To provide a balanced, multimodal transportation system for the Salem Urban Area that supports the safe and efficient movement of goods and people.

Policy 11: Decreased Reliance on the SOV [single occupant vehicle]

Local governments within the Salem Urban Area shall develop multimodal plans, services, and programs that decrease reliance on the SOV as the dominant means of travel. Progress towards this objective shall be monitored through benchmarks set forth in Table #1.

Table #1 gives the bike lane striping percentages from 53% to 70%.

The Bicycle Element of the TSP stresses striping bike lanes on arterial and collector streets. It seems likely that this document controlled the benchmarks, and accounts for its weakness.

Moving from 53% to 70% bike lane striping sets a pretty low floor of accomplishment. There's no reason why 100% of designated streets can't be striped by 2030. None! Moreover, we know that bike lanes on busy streets appeal only to a small segment of the population; and that to make bicycling appeal to broader numbers, bike lanes on busy streets alone cannot accomplish the job. To make meaningful reductions in our reliance on the SOV will take more than an increment of 17% more bike lanes! It will require a mix of low-traffic bikeways, separated facilities, and lane markings like bike lanes and sharrows.

Getting the TSP updated will help ensure that related transportation planning and issues will give proper weight to bicycle facilities and will incorporate a more appropriate mix of types of facilities.

[updated 10/21/2010 with revised link to staff report, which had been broken]

Saturday, May 2, 2009

House Bill 2001 - Word on the street is the Legislative Leadership will present an amended bill with the understanding that legislators will support it - Who knows what's in it? At this point the process is not public. House Bill 2106 - Public Hearing and Work Session scheduled for Tuesday, May 5.House Bill 2377 - Referred to Senate Consumer Protection and Public Affairs CommitteeHouse Bill 2554 - Public Hearing and Work Session scheduled for Thursday, May 7.House Bill 2946 - Hmmm...the April 28 work session disappeared. Maybe dead?

Work Session information:

HB 2106 - Tuesday, May 5, 1:00 P.M. HR A. - Allows school district to select site for large construction project that is different from site proposed prior to bond election if safety improvement evaluation is made for new site before bonds are issued for project.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Robert Fox and the BTA Bike Safety Education program held the first Community Ride of the season at Morningside Elementary earlier today. The program, honored by the Surgeon General, has taught over 40,000 kids how to ride safely. We'll have more of an update on that later, but it's always great to see kids getting the hang of riding, learning to ride safely, and figuring out how easy it is to go places by bike!

About Us

The Breakfast Blog is about bicycling and the built environment here in Salem, focusing mostly on transportation but with significant servings of bike fun, land use, planning, and design. And other miscellaneous stuff.
Write: breakfastonbikes [at] gmail [dot] com